Best Buy closing 50 big box stores, adding 100 Best Buy Mobile locations

5. Sniggly posted on 29 Mar 2012, 14:06 9 1

Overpriced compared to Amazon, maybe. And Amazon doesn't have our expenses.

Compared to the carrier stores? We're often the same price or cheaper, sometimes by fifty or a hundred dollars. And we don't f**k around with mail in rebates.

So how about you not make ignorant statements?

28. agentoj posted on 29 Mar 2012, 20:52 2 0

Best Buy does have pretty good prices on phones. Also, their return policy is great. The only thing I hate is getting an incompetent person who does not know how to change the contract date after you have returned a phone (yeah that happened).

Moreover, Amazon's incredible pricing is usually only for completely new customers.

33. oddmanout posted on 30 Mar 2012, 01:37 0 0

agentoj - This is happening to me NOW! I returned a galaxy note at bestbuy on the 14th in hopes to reserve my upgrade for the upcoming HTC One X. 2 days after returning it I heard about a delay regarding the processing chips for the one x so I just said screw the One X and tried to pick the Galaxy note up again. I couldn't get the phone and they told me my upgrade renewal wasn't fully processed and that it took 24-48 hours for it to finish. So 2 days later I go back trying to pick up the note and still can't upgrade. So now they tell me my wait is 2-3 buisness days. I've checked online to see if I'm eligible for an upgrade for weeks now and it still say I'm ineligible. Not only did they mess up my upgrade, they are leaving me in the dark with a bill I'm forced to pay for a phone line that isn't being used. Sweet right?

I'm thinking about suing for a reimburstment of the cost it will take to either end the line (ETF) + the activation to add a new line or sue for the charges of the bill that I must pay for a line that can't have a phone! Either way, I shouldn't have to be put in this situation and is clearly Best Buy mobile department's fault.

What do you suppose I do about it?

• This comment is posted in response to #28 Show
• This comment is posted in response to #28 Hide

34. ibap posted on 30 Mar 2012, 07:22 0 0

Best Buy should absolutely make this right, but if you've followed anything in the cell world, you shouldn't bet on any release date or feature until the phone is actually available.

I love the folks that drool for some new phone and then want to sue because something that was rumored for it isn't included at release.

Call your carrier and complain to them too.

• This comment is posted in response to #33 Show
• This comment is posted in response to #33 Hide

37. jump454 posted on 30 Mar 2012, 12:02 1 0

how is it best buys fault? was there a problem with your note? no. did they botch the paperwork on your original purchase no. therefore it was your fault cause you brought a perfectly good working phone back because you wanted to wait for a phone that was later delayed? you kinda screwed yourself there bud. and just call up att and let them know whats going on. theyll straighten it up.

• This comment is posted in response to #33 Show
• This comment is posted in response to #33 Hide

38. oddmanout posted on 30 Mar 2012, 14:20 0 0

You guys must have it misunderstood. Best buy has a 30 day exchange period and a 14 day cancellation period. I only returned the phone and kept my upgrade which is a simple and common task (they've done this several times in the past). I returned the note because I didn't want it. Not because it was defective. Also, how would the fault be mine? Because I made a return? lol Thats preposterous. Every customer is entitled to a return period. The transaction was absolutely possible as I and many others have done this before. The representative screwed it up and two other employees including the manager have both confirmed that he must have done something wrong because my upgrade still has not been pushed back to be available to me. It has nothing to do with me wanting to save my upgrade for another phone. If someone with an upgrade due came into the store to upgrade and decided they didn't like the phone, they are absolutely entitled to a refund/exchange period. Processing the return and reinstating the upgrade eligibility is the responsibility of whom ever accepted the return. Its not my fault he processed the return without pushing back the upgrade date.

• This comment is posted in response to #37 Show
• This comment is posted in response to #37 Hide

10. bigdawg23 posted on 29 Mar 2012, 14:23 7 0

Price isn't everything. If you get a device and need to return or exchange it is a pain in the rear with Amazon. I can walk in to Best Buy no questions asked.

20. nsxviper posted on 29 Mar 2012, 15:26 0 0

It's much easier to return or exchange product to Amazon compared to most online retailers. Amazon pays for the return cost of shipping. If you need to exchange a product, they will ship the replacement before you even send yours. People shop at online retailers because everyone knows how overpriced Best Buy is.

12. LandLockedPH posted on 29 Mar 2012, 14:46 1 1

Right, So Best Buy goes the way of Circuit City, Sound Advice, Ultimate Electronics, CompUSA, etc., etc., etc. and what does that leave you with? Nothing BUT Amazon and buy.com. Stupid comment nnaatthhaannx2 !

31. lsutigers posted on 29 Mar 2012, 23:40 1 0

This is the start of the decline of the next brick & mortar giant in consumer electronics. Circuit City tried to re-structure but failed, Best Buy in next. Times have changed, as the article suggests, customers are using Best Buy as a giant show room where they can browse for products, the buy online for less. With the boom of smartphones, consumers are more educated than ever, with the power of the internet in their hands, which allows them to instantly price check ANYTHING they see at say, Best Buy. Best Buy is the last of the big boys, unfortunately, HH Gregg completely misread the market and expanded at the worst time, when the economy was in decline, thinking they would capitalize from Circuit City's fall, they will be gone soon too. At least it looks like these companies have finally realized that the future lies in mobile products, such as iPads, tablets and smartphones etc...The only problem is, most of these products carry very low margins, with the exception of connected devices that carry a contract. Another obstacle is the cost of wireless data to consumers today. Sprint is the only carrier offering unlimited data which is where I think the future will lead. Unfortunately, those great LTE speeds from AT&T & Verizon wont mean much if they are expensive and are very limited. It will be difficult to convince consumers to adopt a connected mobile device with costly / low data caps. We shall see how this all shapes up, but, if I were a Best Buy investor, I would get rid of that stock ASAP. Let's hope they can adapt to the market as quickly as mobile companies like Apple are defining it.

13. imkyle posted on 29 Mar 2012, 14:53 2 0

Best Buy has good prices and their selection is good. Some of the people working their need to be decked in the head.

14. shimmyx20 posted on 29 Mar 2012, 15:00 2 0

Agree. Some of the employees that work there are either ignorant or under trained about the departments they work in. I have, however, gotten a few really friendly and knowledgable folks.

Sucks for the people who will lose their jobs.

21. imkyle posted on 29 Mar 2012, 15:35 0 0

I agree with you. Most of the people there are nice, but i know about 3 or 4 people who need to get beaten and be told "your not hot s**t."

• This comment is posted in response to #14 Show
• This comment is posted in response to #14 Hide

25. N.Reynolds posted on 29 Mar 2012, 19:26 0 0

Best Buy price matches anything except for online only prices...

6. LoneShaolin posted on 29 Mar 2012, 14:07 2 0

Target Mobile employee are Radio Shack employees.

8. Sniggly posted on 29 Mar 2012, 14:11 2 1

If they're anything like Walmart Mobile they're not really cheaper than Best Buy mobile and sometimes more expensive.

7. Sniggly posted on 29 Mar 2012, 14:09 2 4

Well, what do you prefer? Fifty people asking you if you need help or fifty people ignoring you? We're not psychic, it's not like we all know that you've just told one of us to leave you the he'll alone. Also, if by overstuffed you mean one or two people per department, yeah, I guess we are.

16. EclipseGSX posted on 29 Mar 2012, 15:03 1 0

you are taking these comments against Best Buy a little too personal lol

22. NjFrazer posted on 29 Mar 2012, 16:02 0 0

Calm down there big guy. Taking it a little too personal are we?

29. CannedKarma posted on 29 Mar 2012, 21:09 0 0

Get out while you're enjoying your job. I left my job as the top mobile rep at my location last year and I'm running a Verizon store now. I'm getting paid far better to do it (earning commission on sales that you work your rear off for isn't an evil thing, contrary to what your current training would have you believe), and my customers are happy that they don't have to enter a human zoo to be taken care of.

Use your experience to your advantage. Best Buy will continue to drain you dry and underpay you.

15. -box- posted on 29 Mar 2012, 15:01 0 0

Though Circuit City (in name at least) got purhcased by Systemax, TigerDirect's parent company, and, to my knowledge, still offers online shopping

35. MobileCaseReview posted on 30 Mar 2012, 08:05 0 0

Yes they transitioned strictly to online sales and distribution.

24. rallyguy posted on 29 Mar 2012, 19:24 0 0

Fry's is nice, but does not have the footprint BB does.

26. -box- posted on 29 Mar 2012, 19:46 1 0

Agreed. It's not very common outside of California. Fry's and MicroCenter are gradually starting to fill in the (large) gaps in their markets. The closest Fry's to me is in Illinois.